Knox Criminal Court Clerk Under Fire

Knox County judges are trying to resolve a range of problems stemming from errors tied to the criminal court clerk’s office, Knoxnews reports. The paper based its reporting on interviews conducted last week. Among its findings, it uncovered allegations of improper arrests, dismissal of cases due to missing paperwork, and the hiring of a collection agency that has reported payments late and was selected without an open-bidding process. Clerk Joy McCroskey defends her office and workers saying, "I think some of it is disgruntled former employees." Given the issues, Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond recently said he is considering a race against McCroskey in the Republican primary next summer. The paper has published several articles on the situation, including one this afternoon quoting Judge Andrew Jackson VI about the situation. WATE TV weighs in today as well, with news that the county sheriff has denied any responsibility for the improper arrests.